The Gouverneur Museum is open Wednesdays and also Saturdays by appointment. Call Joe Laurenza at 315-323-2654. Masks and social distancing is encouraged. The history of Gouverneur is well represented by the hundreds of artifacts you will see on the three floors of the main building and the outbuilding. Admission is always free.
Visit the Gouverneur Museum virtually… using our mobile app. It was built for mobile devices, but can still be experienced with a computer.
The Museum in "The Manse"
The Gouverneur Museum has artifacts on three floors, an exhibit building outside, an Annex at the Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fairgrounds, and an authentic one room schoolhouse.
The museum's collection was built from local donations and every object speaks to us from the past and links us to the real people who once owned it. Thanks to the generosity of area residents, the Museum houses thousands of items, many are quite unique.
The Museum's main building was built in 1904 and was once a three story Victorian home, the Presbyterian Manse. "The Manse" was purchased by the Historical Association in 1974 and opened as a museum on July 4, 1976.
In 2015, the First Presbyterian Church building next door, along with the Manse, were placed on the National Historical Registry. Read more about the history of Gouverneur's First Presbyterian Church.
How did Gouverneur get its name...? From the "Wildest Founding Father of them All!"
Gouverneur Morris was a Founding Father of the United States, and a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution. He wrote the Preamble to the United States Constitution and has been called the "Penman of the Constitution." In an era when most Americans thought of themselves as citizens of their respective states, Morris advanced the idea of being a citizen of a single union of states. He was also one of the most outspoken opponents of slavery among all of those who were present at the Constitutional Convention. He represented New York in the United States Senate from 1800 to 1803. (From Wikipedia)
Gouverneur was considered the
"Wildest Founding Father of them All."
The Fry Family: Black Pioneers of Gouverneur
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The Fry family lived in Gouverneur for over 60 years. Who was Flora Fry?
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Why was she given a Gerritt Smith land grant when women in New York State would not be able to vote until 1918?
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What became of her four children raised in Gouverneur?
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Learn about an unrecognized black civil war veteran from Gouverneur.
Bryan Thompson, DeKalb, NY Historian presented a talk about the Fry family on September 23, 2021 at the Gouverneur Community Center. Watch the Video
Gouverneur Benefactors
Many individuals have contributed to the Gouverneur community. These sixteen profiles give you a glimpse into the lives and backgrounds of some of our historical benefactors.
Gouverneur History Online
The books are also available for purchase in the Museum Shop. However, no copies of the Sesqui-Centennial History are available, but you can read the full text here at the Museum's website.
Gouverneur
A History 1805-1890
by Jane A.W. Parker
Gouverneur
Sesqui-Centennial History
1805 - 1955
Gouverneur
Bicentennial History
1805-2005